Cats from the future
by Jatekos3
Summary: The battle against the Dark Forest was won; but then, something strange happened. A warrior of ThunderClan, Ivypool awakes in RiverClan's camp. If that wasn't enough, she finds horrible things out: nor the battle, nor the great journey has happened yet; additionally, it turns out, that she has a friend too, but not one she expected... (Echoshipping)
1. Chapter 1

"Wake up!" a voice hissed into his ear. Hawkfrost opened his eyes slowly.  
"What do you want?" he growled, but then he realized he was talking to Mistystar. No, Misty_foot_! He could see Leopardstar from the edge of his vision. The deputy rolled her eyes.  
"I thought you would never wake up! It's almost sunhigh!" she snarled. Hawkfrost yawned. A few sunrises ago he was training the apprentices in the Dark Forest. He had no idea how he got here, and he didn't really care.

Stormfur and Feathertail "disappeared" a half moon ago. Everything happened just like last time: Leafpaw and Sorreltail crossed the border; Mothwing told him that she didn't believe in StarClan. The next what was going to happen was Mistyfoot's disappearance and he could hardly wait to get rid of the annyoing she-cat.

But there was something - no, someone, who wasn't supposed to be here: Ivypool. She looked the same but she was a RiverClan cat and she remembered him too.

He remembered that last night Mothwing told him that Ivypool was his friend since they were apprentices. Moreover, not just simple friends: _best_ friends. The thought made Hawkfrost want to vomit. Ivypool? As _his_ best friend? No way...

But what would the Clan think, if they suddenly hated each other? That would destroy all the plans he made this far! He couldn't let that happen.

"Do you forgive me if I lead a hunting patrol? I'll take Ivypool with me." Hawkfrost meowed. Mistyfoot nodded.  
"Alright! But next time get up earlier!"

The tom nodded and left the warriors den. He was searching for Ivypool. Then he spotted her: she was talking to Reedpaw. He approached her slowly. Mistyfoot didn't say he should leave immediately, or did she?

When he was near enough, the she cat looked at him with her eyes narrowed.

"Hunting patrol" he simply said. Her whiskers twitched.  
"Is someone else coming too?" she asked.  
"No." Hawkfrost meowed and left before she could answer.

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Ivypool followed the tom immediately. _Mousebrain!_ she cursed silently. How did she even get here? She was a ThunderClan warrior! How could she be loyal to RiverClan?

Hawkfrost slowed his pace and waited for her to catch up.  
"I think we have something to discuss." he didn't look at her when he said that. Ivypool narrowed her eyes.  
"What do you-"  
"About us." Hawkfrost interrupted her. Ivypool stopped walking and Hawkfrost did the same.  
"It's obvious that we hate each other" Hawkfrost continued while sitting down. "But if you even try to ignore or avoid me, the others will notice. I-" Before he could continue, Ivypool cut in:  
"And why should I follow your command, murderer?" she sneered. Hawkfrost looked at her peacefully.  
"Ah, you're talking about Hollyleaf, eh? As you see, I haven't done _anything_ this far."  
Ivypool snarled.  
"Why should I trust you? The last time I did that-"  
"I didn't ask you to trust me. We both know that's impossible after that what happened." Hawkfrost growled.  
"What do you want from me then?" Ivypool asked him.  
"Well, the Clan thinks that we are best friends..." Hawkfrost began, but Ivypool interrupted him again.  
"You want me to act as if we were friends?" Ivypool asked, hoping he would say no.  
"Exactly." Hawkfrost nodded.

Ivypool looked at him and she could see that he was just as enthusiastic as her.  
"Why should I do that? I think-"  
"I don't like the idea either. But RiverClan cats aren't blind. They'll notice if we began to act... unusual. I hate you just as much as you hate me. But do you really think it is wise to decline my offer, when you don't know any RiverClan move? " Hawkfrost growled. Ivypool blinked at him surprised.  
"You mean, you want to _help_ me? I didn't think you even knew that word!" Hawkfrost's ears twitched.  
"Yeah. Whatever. We should go. Mistyfoot won't be that impressed if we come back with empty paws. At least I can show you a move, or two." Hawkfrost stood up but Ivypool didn't follow him. She wasn't sure about this. Why should she trust him? Hawkfrost, however, noticed her unsurety and turned around to face her.

"I'm not going to kill you. You can calm down now." he said and Ivypool could hardly hide her surprise. He _smiled_ and his voice was... _friendly._ When she didn't answer he hissed frustrated and turned around again.  
"Good. You can stay here too! I don't care." his voice was cold and Ivypool wondered if she imagined his smile.  
"Wait! I'm coming too!" she finally blurted out and followed her old enemy.

**A/N Okay, I know the plot is a bit strange, but I couldn't imagine a romance between these two with Hawkfrost dead and Ivypool a spy. If you like it leave a review ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Hawkfrost! Wait for me!" a voice hissed. Hawkfrost rolled his eyes and slowed down. Ivypool breathed heavily.  
"Would you-"  
"No."  
"I haven't finish-"  
"I don't care." he interrupted again. Ivypool growled.  
"Weren't you the one who wanted me to act like-"  
"Noone else is here. You can do what you want." Hawkfrost grinned at her. He saw that Ivypool unsheathed her claws.  
"Except for attacking me." he meowed and ducked immediately, so Ivypool's claws only hit the air.

"Why not? Are you afraid of me?" Ivypool teased him. Hawkfrost snarled.  
"Of course not! What makes you think I am?" he unsheathed his claws too and looked at her menacefully. How dare she say something like that! Ivypool held his gaze firmly. Hawkfrost was so angry with her, that he began to wonder if he wanted to stop himself from sinking his teeth into her throat.

Then he gazed deep into her eyes and felt a stirring in him. Suddenly his rage faded away and he couldn't pull his gaze away from her. Or maybe he didn't wanted to?

Finally he was able to look away, but he realized too late that he let her win. Ivypool meowed triumphantly.  
"That makes me think you're afraid of me!" Hawkfrost avoided her gaze.  
"We should go on. If we don't catch anything, they'll ask what we have done instead of hunting."  
"Lead the way." Ivypool said respektfully, but her voice had a cheeky edge. Hawkfrost ignored it and lead her to the river.

"Do you remember the move I've taught you?" he sat down next to the river.  
"Which one?" Ivypool blinked at him.  
"Nevermind. I'll show it again." Hawkfrost growled.

He crouched down and moved forward with his chin stretched out, whiskers drawn back. Then his muzzle darted forward, and he grasped a fish from the river. He bit down hard to kill it, then placed it onto the forestfloor.

He lifted his head. _Did she watch me? Was she impressed?_

Ivypool was looking at his prey, not him.  
"So?" Hawkfrost stood up and tried to ignore the stirring when he looked at her.  
"Now I remember which one that was. I think..." Ivypool meowed and crouched down to show him the move.

"No, come here." Hawkfrost meowed. "Let's test your skill live."  
Ivypool looked at him angry but she followed his command. She crouched down and darted forward. She stretched her chin out, but when she wanted to catch a fish, Hawkfrost poked her with a paw, taking her out of her balance.

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Ivypool fell into the river, and even thought the water was low, her pelt was completely soaked with water when she climbed back to Hawkfrost. He looked at her amused. Ivypool hissed and ran at him. He dodged easily and before she could win her balance back, he grabbed her shoulder with his jaws and didn't let her go.

"You tossed me into the water!" she hissed.  
"Yeah. You know, RiverClan cats like water. You should get used to it." he whispered into her ear. Ivypool twisted free and hissed at him again.

"Am I supposed to play these stupid games with you?"  
Hawkfrost didn't reply. He looked at her amused.

Ivypool gazed at him angry, but then she got an idea. She walked closer to the river and Hawkfrost followed her.

"Well, you're the expert. _Please_ show me how I could do this better." she begged. Hawkfrost looked at her triumphantly. But when he moved closer to the river, she stuck her paw in, and splashed water into his face. He hissed and jumped back.

"What is it, don't you like water?" she giggled. Hawkfrost looked at her angry, but she could see that he wasn't mad at all. Instead of hissing at her, he smiled, but it took so little time, that she wondered if she imagined it.

Hawkfrost walked calmly to her.  
"You should practice the move. We need to catch a little bit more prey."  
Ivypool nodded and turned around to try to catch a fish. She stretched her chin forward, just as Hawkfrost did, but she hesitated.

She could hardly see anything. How could she catch fish if she can't see any? Hawkfrost next to her was about to catch the third fish. But then he noticed that she didn't move and lifted his head at her.

"Is everything alright, Ivypool?" he asked.  
"Yeah... I mean no..." Ivypool meowed. Hawkfrost's whiskers twitched.  
"What's your problem? Why don't you practice the move?"  
"Because I can't see anyhing!" she blurted out. Hawkfrost sat down next to her.  
"The fishes are there. Look - can't you see those silver things that sometimes appear, then disappear?" Ivypool hid her surprise, when she heard his friendly voice, but she flinched when the tom moved closer to her.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked embarrassed. She looked at her paws, avoiding Hawkfrost's gaze.  
"Sorry!" Hawkfrost meowed in an awkward tone and moved away from her.

They didn't say anything for minutes, then Hawkfrost broke the silence.  
"We should go back. If they ask why we are so late, just say we... talked."  
Ivypool nodded. Hawkfrost grabbed two of the fishes and Ivypool took hold of the last one and she followed Hawkfrost back to the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

When Hawkfrost entered the camp with Ivypool, Mothwing jumped in front of him.  
"Where have you been?" she asked anxious.  
"Hunting" he choked.  
"Why did it need so much time?"  
"Because we talked a lot."  
"Oh! Sorry. I was just worrying about you." Hawkfrost nodded though he followed Ivypool with his gaze. Somehow he just couldn't get her out of his mind. Maybe he was just tired...

Hawkfrost was shaken out of his thoughts when someone poked him.  
"W-What?" he hissed.  
"What did you talk about?" Mothwing asked.  
"Erm... about everything..." he meowed awkwardly. Mothwing's eyes widened.  
"So?"  
"So what?" Hawkfrost meowed frustrated.  
"You like her, don't you?" Mothwing's voice was low. He looked around; noone was listening to them.  
"Maybe. I don't know."  
"How do you mean you don't know?"  
"I mean that... It's not important. And even if I liked her, she would never have the same feelings for me."  
"Why are you so sure of that?"  
"I can't tell you..." he replyed and left before she could ask more embarrassing questions.

He left the camp, his thoughts swirling around Ivypool. What if... no, there's no way that is going to happen. He had to admit, that he liked Ivypool...a_ bit_. Okay, more than just a bit.

_How much time passed? _It was sunset._ Maybe I should go back to camp and do something useful._ He stood up and headed back to the camp. When he entered, he couldn't see Ivypool. Then he found her; Mothwing was talking with her. He stepped immediately to the she-cats.

"Hello. Did I interrupt something important?" he asked. Mothwing gave him a look and shook her head almost unnoticeable. Hawkfrost relaxed. She didn't tell Ivypool a word about their conversation.

"No, you didn't. Is something wrong?" Ivypool asked him. At first Hawkfrost didn't know what he should ask her, but then it hit him.  
"No, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to-"  
"I'm leaving. If anybody needed me, I'll be in my den." Mothwing interrupted him. Hawkfrost shot an angry glare on her. _At least she left._

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"You wanted to ask if I...?" Ivypool repeated his question. What did Hawkfrost want from her?  
"Oh yeah. I wanted to ask if you liked to... go for a walk with me?" His voice was awkward and Ivypool could see that it bugged him. His question surprised her, but she didn't have time to think about it; Hawkfrost was waiting for her answer.  
"Umm...Okay. Let's go." she meowed, eartips burning with embarrassment. She could see from the edge of her vision that Hawkfrost's eyes lit up. They walked side by side and left the camp together.


	4. Chapter 4

Ivypool walked with Hawkfrost side by side. She began to doubt that this was going to turn out good; how could she even think of something like that? This tom lied to her and tried to kill her! Why would he change now? He couldn't change. Or could he...?

They stopped walking and Hawkfrost turned his icy gaze on her.  
"I never thought you would come with me." he breathed. _Me neither!_ Ivypool thought. She peered into his eyes for a heartbeat then looked down at her paws. She could feel Hawkfrost's warm breath... and it calmed her. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore her memories of Hollyleaf.

"Have you ever seen the Fourtrees?" Hawkfrost suddenly asked. Ivypool looked at him surprised.  
"No. But we can't visit it now, can we? It's not full moon."  
"We should visit it now, we won't have the chance by the next gathering."  
"Why not?"  
"You know that it will be destroyed, don't you?"  
"Yeah, but what makes you think that it will-"  
"I was here when it happened, remember?" Hawkfrost interrupted.  
"Oh. Sorry." Ivypool muttered and examined her paws. She let out a surprised meow when Hawkfrost pressed his muzzle against her ear.

"Don't you wanna see it?" Ivypool's ears began to burn with embarrassment.  
"O-Okay..." she meowed quietly, just barely loud enough for Hawkfrost to hear.  
"Alright. This way." She followed the tom, even though she was very unsure about this; she didn't know this territory. Moreover, Hawkfrost was unpredictable. She could see that he looked back sometimes, making sure that she was still following him.

Then she stopped. A twoleg... thing was laying in fron them. It was above the river and it had a strange scent. Hawfrost stopped too and looked at her.  
"What's wrong?" he asked and stepped back to her.  
"What is that... thing in front of us?" she looked at him.  
"No need to get frightened. It won't bite." his whiskesr twitched and he looked into her eyes for a few heartbeats.  
"Alright." Ivypool meowed and approached the thing slowly. Hawkfrost crossed it fast; he turned around and looked challenging at her.

He smiled amused when she finally approached him.  
"Don't say anything." Ivypool meowed.  
The tom smiled at her even more, but he just turned around to lead her further into the unknown.


	5. Chapter 5

Hawkfrost looked back at Ivypool again; he still didn't believe that she agreed to be with him.

Ivypool wasn't looking at him. She examined her paws while following him. He turned his head back and stopped so abrupt, that Ivypool bumped into him.  
"Sorry!"  
"Nothing happened." the dark brown tom answered.  
"By the way, we're here." he added. Ivypool lifted her head and looked around. Her eyes widened when she saw the huge trees and the endless sky.

"Wow! I have never seen something like that before!" the she-cat whispered.  
"So, was it worth it?" Hawkfrost asked her hopefully. Ivypool looked at him for a while then nodded. She took a step, but then hesitated.  
"This place doesn't belong to any of the Clans. We can go on." he tried to encourage her.

Ivypool didn't hesitate any longer; she walked further into the gathering place and Hawkfrost followed her. She stopped in front of the Great Rock and looked at him confused.  
"This is the Great Rock" he explained. "The Clan leaders stand there on the Gatherings." She narrowed her eyes.

"And are we allowed to stand there too?" she wondered.  
"Of course." Hawkfrost crouched down and began to calculate how he could jump.  
"I was just wondering, I didn't mean... Wait, warriors aren't allowed to talk at gatherings, are they?"  
"No. But I talked already. And who can see us now?" Ivypool opened her mouth but then she changed her mind and closed it.

"If Mistyfoot hears of this, we will be dead." the silver and white tabby meowed. Hawkfrost jumped upwards and looked down at her.  
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." he meowed calmly. Ivypool looked at him for a while but then she jumped up next to him. She gazed down and the tom could see that her eyes glowed.

They sat there silent for a while, but this time Ivypool broke the silence.  
"We should go back." Hawkfrost nodded and waited for her to jump down, then he followed the she-cat. Ivypool gazed at him and he looked into her eyes. The stirring came in him up again, but this time more intently; it didn't matter how hard he tried, he couldn't turn his head to the side.

It was Ivypool who first looked away. She murmured something in front of herself while Hawkfrost was padding up to her.  
"I wonder if you can remember the way back." he meowed. Ivypool avoided his gaze and that made him feel disappointed.  
"I think, But you will help me, if I make a mistake, won't you?" she asked.  
"Of course!" he reassured her.

The silver tabby ran firmly forwards and Hawkfrost followed her without thinking.

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When they were back at the camp, they both sneaked into the warriors den. Hawkfrost tried to avoid stepping on one of his clanmates' tailtip, and luckily he succeeded. He curled himself up in his nest but before he closed his eyes, he shot a glance at Ivypool. Her nest was next to his; she looked back at him and whispered.

"Good night, Hawkfrost" Then she closed her eyes.  
"Good night, Ivypool" he muttered and lay his head down.

A few thoughts crossed his mind; most of them were about the beautiful she-cat who was already sleeping next to him. The tom opened an eye once more to shoot another glimpse at her; then he finally fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Ivypool woke up when she heard a scream.  
"Mistyfoot disappeared!"  
She moaned and stepped slowly out of her nest.

When she looked around, she noticed that Hawkfrost was still sleeping. At first the silver tabby didn't wanted to disturb him, but then she poked his cheek carefully with her paw. He grunted and turned to his other side. Ivypool couldn't stop herself from giggling.

When she did that, Hawkfrost's head shot up in alarm, but he couldn't see her; she was standing behind him. The tom yawned and layed his head down. Ivypool giggled again and he turned his head at her. When the tom recognized her, he gave her a little smile.

"Why did you wake me?" Hawkfrost asked and yawned again.  
"Mistyfoot disappeared" she meowed, and she saw that Hawkfrost's eyes lit up.  
"Finally she's gone!" he breathed. The tabby tom rose to his full height, and Ivypool looked at him confused. He noticed and explained:  
"Nobody knows where she is. We don't know if she is dead or not. We don't know anything about-"

"What do you mean? Isn't she cap-"  
"Shhh!" Hawkfrost waved his paw over her mouth. "Don't tell anyone!" Ivypool looked at him even more confused.  
"She was the deputy; what do you think will happen when she goes missing? She'll be replaced." the dark brown tom meowed and let her go.  
"That's not true! Firestar waited for Graystripe - I mean, he didn't make Bramble-"  
"Yes, but Leopardstar isn't like that. And I would be glad if you didn't mention that crowfood's name again." Hawkfrost growled and left the warriors den. The silver tabby she-cat followed him.

Leopardstar called a meeting. Ivypool sat down next to Mothwing.  
"I wonder whom she will appoint as her new deputy" the she-cat whispered to her. Ivypool tried to look enquiringly.  
"I hope it's not ..." she muttered the name silnetly.  
"Who are you talking about?" Mothwing asked.  
"Nevermind." Ivypool meowed and looked back at Leopardstar.

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Hawkfrost stood next to his leader; she appointed him to be her deputy, as long as they don't know anything from Mistyfoot. The tom knew she was going to come back, but he hoped that that changed...

He turned his gaze on Ivypool, but his spirit fell when he saw her horrified look. It made him feel uncomfortable; wasn't she happy for his succeed?

Leopardstar jumped down.  
"This meeting is dismissed." she told her Clan.

Hawkfrost followed her and began to organize patrols. Border patrols, hunting patrols, and so on; his mind was around Ivypool, not about the borders to ThunderClan or WindClan. When he finished, he padded to Ivypool, but she didn't look at him.

"Hey Ivypool." the tom greeted her. She spun quickly around but relaxed when she recognized him.  
"Oh. Hi." she meowed. Hawkfrost examined her carefully; she wasn't acting like last night. She was avoiding him and her gaze was unreadable. When he wanted to ask her, what's wrong, Mothwing stepped to him and rubbed her muzzle against his.

"I'm so proud of you!" she purred.  
"Umm...thanks." he meowed and flinched from her touch. Mothwing smiled at him then left. Hawkfrost looked at Ivypool for a heartbeat. She wasn't like Mothwing; her gaze was filled with worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked and tried to ignore how his voice sounded. Ivypool didn't reply and he began to doubt that she could ever like him.  
"I'll tell you, just not here. Let's go for a walk." the tabby she-cat finally said and stood up to leave the camp.

They walked a time ago when Hawkfrost broke the silence.  
"What's wrong?" he reapeated his question.  
"You didn't change." Ivypool didn't look at him. "You are still... you know." Hawkfrost unsheathed his claws and tried not to yowl in frustration. He didn't expect she would say that.

"I am still...?" he wanted her to continue her sentence. Ivypool turned to face him and showed him her teeth.  
"You are still playing games with me! You're acting as if you were my friend, but we both know that's not true! You still hate me and-"  
"I don't hate you!" Hawkfrost blurted out. The she-cat looked at him with her eyes narrowed while he was examining his paws.  
"I'm not your friend or your Clanmate! I hate you for that what you've done to me." She growled and Hawkfrost hissed frustrated.  
"That tiny bit you've seen, is nothing! If you were a Dark Forest cat, you'd know. And be glad you weren't one." His fur began to bristle when he thought of his experiences in that horrible place.

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Ivypool's anger faded when she saw that Hawkfrost's eyes widened when he talked about the Dark Forest. She looked down at her paws and started to feel uncomfortable.  
"I-I didn't know..." she began.  
"Nothing happened." Hawkfrost replyed.

None of them said anything for a while, then Hawkfrost lifted his head and Ivypool did the same. His ice-blue eyes were warmer than usual, and the silver and white tabby she-cat felt a rush when he looked at her.  
"So, do you forgive me...?" he asked. She didn't say anything for a while, then she nodded. Hawkfrost sighed and smiled at her.

"Should we go hunting?" she offered. Hawkfrost's whiskers twitched.  
"No. We have enough hunting patrols. But we could heck the border to ThunderClan, I forgot to organize a patrol for that." he meowed embarrassed. Ivypool nodded and followed him without another thought.


	7. Chapter 7

A half moon passed; the twolegs destroyed the Fourtrees, and Ivypool was glad that she visited it with Hawkfrost.

She was on a patrol with him; she noticed that he was acting strange. He seemed to like her company; they always shared prey and mostly they were patrolling together. She noticed that his voice was awkward when he asked something from her, and sometimes he stared into her eyes. Maybe he liked her? No, he was just acting like that. Wait, that was impossible; he was like that when they were alone too.

Another question crossed her mind; did she like him too? Maybe... her heart pounded faster when he was looking at her, and she felt safe when the tom was with her.

They walked side by side when Hawkfrost suddenly stopped.  
"What's-" before she could finish, the tom waved his tail over her mouth. Now she could hear the pawsteps too.  
"Hello, Hawkfrost" a grey tom stepped to them. Ivypool unsheathed her claws but Hawkfrost gave her a look which forced her to sheath them gain.

"Hello Stormfur. Where's Fethertail?" Hawkfrost's voice was strangely cold. Sorrow flashed in the grey tom's eyes.  
"She... you will find it out soon enough." Then he noticed Ivypool too and greeted her with a smile.

"Hello Ivypool." his voice was friendly and the she-cat heard Hawkfrost growl.  
"Hi. Good to see you again." she faked a smile. She didn't know this tom but she tried to act as if she missed him.

Stormfur looked at her strangely; his eyes were filled with warmth and Ivypool froze. Did he like her? She hoped that that wasn't true. She had enough problems: she didn't need more.

Hawkfrost could just barely stop himself from leaping at Stormfur when he greeted Ivypool. How could he just think that he can flirt with her while he was around?

His anger grew when the beautiful she-cat smiled at him back. He couldn't let him think that he can ever have her.

Hawkfrost stepped closer to Ivypool and shot Stormfur a glare. The grey tom looked furious back at him.  
"Shouldn't we go back"? Ivypool asked. Either she enjoyed or didn't care that Hawkfrost's pelt was almost touching hers.

Stormfur nodded and smiled at her again. Hawkfrost growled and turned around to take the lead.

To his surprise Ivypool walked with him side by side. For a moment the tabby tom hesitated but then he pressed his fur against hers. She purred and looked at him embarrassed. He could see Stormfur's face from the edge of his vision; he was obviously jealous. He smiled and enjoyed his suffer and Ivypool's closeness.

But before they entered the camp, she stepped away from him. Even though he could hide his disappoimtment, Stormfur looked at him triumphantly.

Don't even think you can get her! Hawkfrost almost hissed. He sat down next to Ivypool and examined Stormfur with narrowed eyes.  
The Clan looked surprised when he entered the camp. Leopardstar's ears twitched and she stepped to him.

"Where is Feathertail? She was with you, wasn't she?"  
"Yes. She was with me, but..."  
"Why did you leave?" Someone asked.

"Feathertail received a dream from StarClan; she talked with Oakheart, I think. He said that she should be at the Fourtrees at night and speak to midnight. I... I went with her because I didn't think that this could turn out good. We met four other cats; Crowpaw, Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw. We thought we would see a sign at midnight, but nothing happened. Then Brambleclaw somehow that we should go to the Sun Drown Place. When we finally arrived there, well..." he hesitated.

Hawkfrost tried not to laugh. He could easily imagine how the Clan would react to his next sentence.

"Well, actually, Midnight was a badger." he meowed. Most of the cats gasped, but there were hisses too.  
"Silence! Let him finish." Leopardstar ordered.  
"She could speak... I mean, we understood her. She told us, that the forest will be destroyed by the twolegs." Some cats' eyes widened when he said that.

"After that, we came back - but we took another way; the mountains. We met other cats there, the Tribe of Rushing Water. They helped us, but they wanted us to stay. Later we found out, that a mountain lion was killing their cats, and their ancestors told them that a silver cat will save them." he took a deep breath and continued:

"At first they thought I was this cat... and then Squirrelpaw had an idea how we could kill the mountain lion; she stuffed a rabbit with deathberries. But when it came into the cave, it ignored the rabbit and wanted to kill Crowpaw. And then Feathertail... she broke a dripstone down, and it fell on the lion. She sacrificed herself to save us and the tribe." he ended and stared down at at his paws.

"Is that everything that happened?" Leopardstar asked.  
"No. I need to talk to you and Mistyfoot private." he meowed.  
"Mistyfoot isn't here. She disappeared."  
"Who is deputy then?" Stormfur asked confused.

"Me." Hawkfrost stood up. Stormfur looked surprised but he only nodded.  
"Well, then let's go into my den." Leopardstar meowed. Hawkfrost nodded and followed her inside.

Ivypool looked down at her paws. When will they finally come out? She lifted her head and smiled when Hawkfrost stepped out of Leopardstar's den. He noticed her too and padded up to her.  
"What did you talk about?" Ivypool asked.  
"Nothing important. He wants Leopardstar to come to the Fourtrees, to meet the other leaders. He was talking about a sign." he yawned.  
"Will you go too?"  
"They won't see anything, but I will go. I did that last time too." Hawkfrost meowed. Ivypool hesitated.  
"And do you know when Mistyfoot will come back?" she whispered. The tom's whiskers twitched.  
"Soon." Ivypool opened her mouth but someone interrupted her.  
"Hawkfrost, could you come here for a moment?" It was Mothwing.  
"See you later, Ivypool." he smiled and jumped to his sister.

Right after he left, Stormfur stepped to her. She looked at him and tried to hide her surprise.  
"Hey. Do you want to share prey, or something?" he asked. Ivypool examined him carefully.  
"Ummm... maybe later. I promised Mothwing to help." she meowed and left him alone.  
When she entered the medicine cat den, she heard Hawkfrost's voice.  
"...no, I'm not happy he's back. I never liked him, but you already knew that..."  
"You shouldn't be rude with him. Don't forget that we have to thank him that RiverClan let us join-"  
"That was Leopardstar's decision, not his." Hawkfrost growled.  
"Still, he helped-"  
"I never wanted him to help me!" the tom snarled.  
"You didn't look like that. You were always grateful for his help, Hawkfrost."  
Hawkfrost wanted to reply, but then he noticed Ivypool. He smiled embarrassed at her.

"Er... hi. Since... since when are you standing here...?" he asked awkwardly.  
"I didn't hear anything, if you wanted to say that." she purred.  
"I came here because I wanted to get rid of Stormfur." she admitted. Mothwing looked at her surprised.  
"Did he cause trouble for you?" she asked.  
"No."  
"What's gotten into you? You are so... dislikeable today. Both of you." Mothwing meowed, but she was looking at Hawfrost. He only shrugged.  
"I'm always like that." he meowed. Mothwing looked at him in disbelief.  
"That's not true. You're not like that. But I don't care as long as you're not rude with me."  
Hawkfrost's whiskers twitched but he only smiled at her.  
"I won't cause you more trouble. I promise" Mothwing looked at him for a while.  
"Really?"  
"Really." his brother reassured her.

Ivypool smiled. Hawkfrost licked Mothwing's cheek then he padded to her.  
"Wanna go for a walk?" he asked with a smile.  
"Yep." she purred, glad that they could spend more time together.

They were walking a little time ago, when Hawkfrost stopped. He turned his head to her and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him embarrassed.

Suddenly he leaned closer, but before he could touch her, he stopped and looked at her questioningly. Ivypool gave him a little nod as a sign to continue. His gaze grew more intent and he pressed his fur against hers. She purred and placed her head under his chin. Hawkfrost nuzzled her and Ivypool purred again.

They sat there silently, then Hawkfrost lifted his head.  
"We should go back." he whispered in her ear. Ivypool looked into his eyes and nodded. He stood up and Ivypool followed him back to the camp.

When they arrived, it was almost midnight. Both walked slowly and silently into their den. Ivypool lay down into her nest and when Hawkfrost approached her, he licked her ear.

"Good night, my sweet" he whispered to her, but she was already asleep. Then he rolled up in his nest, and fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Someone poked him with a paw.

"Time to get up." a voice whispered to him. Hawkfrost opened his eyes. Ivypool was looking at him amused and he quickly stood up.

"How late is it?" he asked.

"Sunrise. Mistyfoot asked me yesterday if I liked to lead a patrol at sunrise." Ivypool meowed. Yes, Mistyfoot. She returned last sunhigh and even though Hawkfrost was much kinder to her, he could see that the deputy didn't trust him.

"Is anyone else coming too?" he asked between two yawns. Ivypool shook her head.

"Then lead the way." Hawkfrost muttered half asleep.

The she-cat lead him to the ThunderClan-border.

"Nothing strange. Noone crossed the border." Ivypool meowed. Hawkfrost nodded, but then he heard a quiet noise. He crouched down and pricked his ears. Then a golden-brown she-cat crossed the border in front of his nose. He already heard the other four cats, who were following her. He jumped out of his hiding place and growled.

Firestar stopped so abrupt, that Brambleclaw and Ashfur almost bumped into him. Squirrelpaw was with them too. Firestar took a step back, and he stared at him wide-eyed.

"What business do you have on RiverClan's territory?" he asked him. The ginger leader didn't reply for a moment, but then he relaxed. He looked at the golden-brown she-cat who was now behind him. Ivypool stepped next to him, but she examined the ThunderClan patrol.

"Why do you defy me, and allow a rogue to cross your border?"

"My mother will always be welcomed in RiverClan." he meowed after some time.

He expected the ThunderClan cats to be surprised, but only Ashfur and Firestar seemed to be taken back. He remembered, that last time Squirrelpaw blinked many times when he said that. But now... she looked suspicious, she even narrowed her eyes. Strange...

His mother padded closer to the border and greeted the ThunderClan leader.

"I heard many things about you, Firestar. It's... interesting to meet you."

"So you are Sasha?" Firestar's whiskers twitched.

"You sound as if you expected something else."

"You don't look like a rogue." the tom looked at her groomed pelt.

"And you don't look like a kittypet." Sasha told him. Firestar didn't react to her sarcastic tone.

"I always wondered, why would a rogue decide leave her kits in a Clan?"

"And why would a Clan respect a kittypet as their leader? Not every cat suits its' birth. Some choose their own way."

Firestar narrowed his eyes.

"Are you a cat like that?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I hope that my kits are like that." she looked at Hawkfrost proudly.

"Would you like to stay in RiverClan for a while?" he invited her. Ivypool gazed at him confused.

"We have plenty of prey" he added and shot Firestar a mocking glare. But then ginger tom still looked at him with his eyes narrowed.

"I don't want to stay for a long time. But before I go, I would like to see Mothwing too." his mother replyed. Hawkfrost turned to Firestar.

"When I arive in camp, I will send a patrol to make sure you didn't steal any RiverClan prey." he growled.

"We don't need to steal. Let's go back" Firestar meowed to his patrol.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Both stepped away from the border, but before they could get out of sight, Firestar turned around.

"Tigerstar was his father, wasn't he?"

Ivypool's ears twitched surprised. Of course she knew that Hawkfrost and Tigerstar were kin, but she expected that ThunderClan already knew about that. Sasha didn't seem to be taken back, but she hesitated. She looked at her for a heartbeat, but then she calmed down and answered the leader's question.

"Yes, he was." Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw didn't seem to be surprised. Both were examining Ivypool with narrowed eyes, and she wondered why they did that.

"Get back to your own territory" Hawkfrost warned, and he unsheathed his claws. "I will defend my Clan against every cat, if I have to." With that he turned around and the two she-cats followed him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hawkfrost's POV**

As they entered the camp, Mistyfoot greeted them. "Well, hello Sasha." she meowed. His mother dipped her head to the side.

"I'm not going to stay long" she told her. "After I talked to Hawkfrost and Mothwing, I'm leaving." The deputy nodded and walked away.

Hawkfrost turned to Ivypool when she poked him with a paw.

"I'll go and fetch something to eat." she meowed friendly and padded away. Hawkfrost stared after her, but then Sasha stroke his flank with her tail. He motioned her with a tailtwitch to follow him and lead her to the Mudfur's den. Mothwing noticed them immediately and greeted Sasha with a smile.

"Hello. What are you doing here? I thought you left." she meowed.

"I wanted to talk with you." their mother replied. "Can we talk somewhere... private?" she asked, looking worried. Mothwing nodded and lead them out of the den. Hawkfrost sat down next to his sister and pricked his ears. Sasha took a deep breath.

"I've heard some rumors about the forest being destroyed." she began. "I... I wanted to ask, if you wanted to leave the Clans and come with me." she finally meowed.

Mothwing stared at her wide-eyed and shook her head. "We can't leave! I'm the medicine cat apprentice! I... I just can't leave RiverClan." she looked down at her paws. Hawkfrost shook his head too.

"I don't want to leave either. I like living this way..." he tried to find another excuse, but the only one was the thing with Ivypool... he didn't want to leave now, to forget her; because he knew he couldn't, even if he tried. He would miss looking into those beautiful eyes, hearing her voice.

Their mother nodded, althought Hawkfrost could see pain in her eyes. Then he stood up and walked away; Mothwing and Sasha were talking about something _incredibly_ boring, besides, Ivypool was waiting for him.

* * *

**Ivypool's POV**

Since Ivypool was here, there were always some mice on the fresh-kill pile. But today she decided to try something new out, so she grabbed a fish from the pile. But when she felt it's taste for the first time... how can RiverClan cats eat this?

When someone asked, what she was doing, she replied she was waiting for Hawkfrost. Well, it's a good excuse, but if he won't come soon, she will look mousebrained. She lifted her head when someone lay down next to her. She recognized Hawkfrost's scent and turned her head to see him. He smiled and looked at the prey in front of her.

"First time trying fish, eh?" he asked amused.  
"Yes." she murmured.  
"Just take a bite. It isn't _that _bad."

Ivypool nodded and took a bite. It was strange at first, but then she began to chew it and... _Yuck! It's horrible!_ She knew however, that she couldn't spit it out. How would the other _River_Clan cats react?

She chewed the piece of prey slowly and tried to hide how she felt about eating fish.

"You'll surely get used to it." Hawkfrost commented when she finally swallowed it. He lowered his head and took a bite too, but his icy-blue eyes were examining her. Ivypool felt hot under her pelt whenever he did that.

The tom swallowed and waited for her to take a second bite. The action went on as long as the fish finally disappeared. Then Hawkfrost began to groom her pelt and Ivypool stared down at her paws, embarrassed. His tongue wandered to her ear, then he stopped and pressed his muzzle against her cheek, murmuring her name softly._  
_

* * *

They talked and laughed together until the sun set and it was dark. Ivypool was slowly starting to feel tired so she leaned against Hawkfrost, and the dark tabby purred. He leaned against her too and placed a lick between her ears. But before Ivypool could close her eyes, Hawkfrost asked if she wanted to go for a walk. She nodded and got up.

Hawkfrost lead her to the river, a bit close to ThunderClan's border. They sat down and Ivypool listened to the water. _Why is he so kind to me? I thought he hated me... Did that change? Did _Hawkfrost_ change? _she asked herself uselessly. She had an idea, but she didn't quite believe it._  
_

A chilly breeze made her flinch. "It's so cold" she meowed and glanced up at Hawkfrost. He nodded and shuffled slightly against her, pressing his warm fur against Ivypool's. Again, she felt her ears burn with embarrassment when he touched her. They never talked about their relationship, but Ivypool knew the tom wouldn't do anything like this if he didn't like her.

Or maybe it was a trick? Was he trying to get her back to the Dark Forest? Ivypool wasn't sure. Her thoughts were confusing, she couldn't concentate. Then she coudldn't bear it longer.

"What happened to us?" she asked. Hawkfrost blinked surprised at her.  
"W-What do you mean what happened?" he stammered. Ivypool glanced down at her paws for a heartbeat.  
"I-I just mean... we... we used to be enemies, and now..." she cut off herself off, feeling hot under her pelt. Hawkfrost moved away, looking just as embarrassed as her.  
"I... I don't know." he meowed, and Ivypool got the feeling he knew, but didn't want to admit. When she opened her mouth to speak, she heard someone call her name.

"Ivypool!" The voice came from behind her. Hawkfrost turned around, his fur bristling. The silver and white she-cat turned too and hissed. Two cats were standing in _River_Clan territory, two cats she knew.

"What are you doing here? This isn't your territory." Hawkfrost growled menacingly, but his voice was slightly filled with fear. One of the two cats moved forward, he was a dark brown tabby tom, familiar to Hawkfrost, but he had amber eyes. The other cat, a smaller flame colored she-cat with green eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked, trying not to sound disrespectful. Bramblestar was her leader and Squirrelflight the deputy. _But they're not your clanmates anymore._ she reminded herself. She narrowed her eyes and waited for their answer. Squirrelflight, or rather Squirrel_paw _was the one who replied.

"We wanted to speak with you."  
"Really? Go on." Ivypool meowed, looking coldly at her. Both seemed to be taken aback when they heard her tone, and this time Brambleclaw answered.  
"We wanted to talk to you _private_" he curled his lip, glancing at his half-brother. _So they are like us? They remember the battle too?_ Ivypool thought.

"That's not an excuse to invade into our territory!" Hawkfrost hissed. His ears were flat, his fur standing high and he bared his teeth.  
"Calm down." Ivypool whispered and pressed against him. He stared into her eyes for a heartbeat, his ears pricked. Then he fixed his gaze on the ThunderClan cats again.

"So do _allow_ us to talk with her?" Squirrelpaw snapped. Hawkfrost narrowed his eyes.  
"With both of you? No. She would be outnumbered." he bared his teeth again. Brambleclaw snarled, but then Ivypool had an idea.  
"I'll talk with Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw and you stay here." she meowed.

Both toms protested, but Ivypool already nudged Squirrelflight, baffling her away so they could talk privately.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ivypool's POV**

Squirrelpaw hissed. "Are you mousebrained?! Leaving _them _alone?! They will rip each other into shreds!"  
"You should have thought about that earlier. Now tell me, what do you want to talk about?" Ivypool asked her. It was strange that Squirrelpaw was smaller than her.  
The flame colored she-cat narrowed her eyes. "I wanted to talk about Hawkfrost. How can you _trust_ him?" she demanded.  
"He's my clanmate." she told her.

Squirrelpaw rolled her eyes. "And mice can fly. I've seen the two of you." she growled.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." she meowed, avoiding to look into her eyes. "And why should I listen to you, anyways? You're neither my clanmate, nor a _warrior_."

"Don't try to change the topic. What's going on between you and Hawkfrost?"  
"Nothing." Ivypool mumbled.  
"Oh really? That's the reason he cuddled up to you?"

Ivypool looked away. She could easily imagine herself blushing; it was mind-blowing when Hawkfrost was so close to her. But Squirrelpaw wouldn't understand that.  
"Is that everything you wanted to tell me? You're wasting my time." she meowed when she relaxed.  
"No. I wanted to know if you knew how we got here." Ivypool shook her head.  
"And is Hawkfrost like... you know, does he remember... what he'd done to Hollyleaf, for example?" Squirrelpaw asked.

Ivypool narrowed her eyes. _Should I tell her? If I did, how would she react? And what would she think of me then?_

"Do you think he'd cuddle up to me if he did"? she asked. Squirrelpaw narrowed her eyes.  
"Why would he cuddle up to _anyone_?And even if he did... don't take this as an insult, but why would it be _you_ he's doing it to? " she asked. Ivypool stared at her for a moment. _She's right, why would he do that? He's just tricking me. He doesn't... he didn't change._ She felt her heart drop.

She stared down at her paws, hiding what she was feeling. Squirrelpaw shuffled uncomfortable.  
"Let's go back. We all should get some sleep. And those two mousebrains might kill each other if we don't go back in time." she meowed.

* * *

**Hawkfrost's POV**

After the two she-cats left, Hawkfrost crouched down, glaring at his half-brother. Brambleclaw only rolled his eyes and sat down. He narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously. He seemed to think about something.

"What was this?" he finally spit out.  
"Coul you give me more details?" he snarled.  
"The scene with Ivypool." came his reply.  
"Nothing." he growled. He was infuriated just by his _presence_, and he dared to ask him a question like that!

"If it was nothing then why aren't you telling me?"  
Hawkfrost didn't give him an answer, only looked away. He had seen him lean against Ivypool, hadn't he? What gives him the right to command him? He wasn't deputy, even if he would be, he still belonged to ThunderClan and had no right to tell him what to do! _H__e_ was the one who invaded into a rival Clan's territory!

"Just leave me alone." he mumbled, staring at his paws. To his surprise, Brambleclaw didn't say anything. They both sat there silent, waiting for the two she-cats to come back.

Hawkfrost lifted his head when he heard pawsteps. Ivypool sat down next to him, sorrow flashed in her eyes. She stared at her paws, not saying anything. Ignoring Squirrelpaw's hiss, he pressed his fur against hers. "What's wrong, Ivypool?" he asked quietly. She leaned against him slightly, her blue eyes bore into his.

He pressed his muzzle against her ear. "What's wrong?" he repeated his question, his voice warmer and quieter. His heart began to pound faster when she licked his chin.  
"Nothing." she purred, burying herself in his fur, making him think his heart would leap out of his chest.

"A-Alright..." Hawkfrost muttered. He enjoyed her closeness, but then somebody hissed into his ears. He lifted his head and saw Squirrelpaw glare at him. Her fur was standing high, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" she hissed. Ivypool moved away from Hawkfrost, her gaze filled with anger.  
"And what gives you the right to tell us what to do?" she jumped to her paws, her fur bristling.  
Squirrelpaw ignored her, and she glared at Hawkfrost again. He growled at her, baring his teeth. He was taller and stronger than her; if he had the chance to hurt her, he wouldn't hesitate. But then Brambleclaw appeared on her side, snarling._  
_

"We all should go back to our own territories and get some sleep." he meowed to his clanmate. She looked up at him with confusion and anger, but before she could protest, the tom grabbed her scruff and pulled her back. She hissed and tried to twist free, but failed. "Let me go!"  
"We should go back! We already wasted enough time." Brambleclaw growled. Squirrelpaw shot one more glare at Hawkfrost, then they both disappeared.

"They left at last!" Ivypool suddenly hissed. She looked furious.  
"They were your clanmates, weren't they?" Hawkfrost asked her.  
"They _were_. Not as if they..." Hawkfrost couldn't hear the second part of her sentence. Her tail twitched, and she unsheathed her claws. The dark tabby pressed closer to her. "Calm down. They're gone now." he meowed.

She growled again, but relaxed slowly. "We should go back too. It's cold and I'm tired." she yawned.

They both stood up, and headed back to the camp. When they arrived, it was much colder and darker. Again, they sneaked to their nest without waking any of their clanmates. Hawkfrost lay down, but his gaze was fixed on Ivypool. She gave him a little smile, then closed her eyes. He closed his eyes too, and only felt now how tired he actually was.

* * *

**Ivypool's POV**

Ivypool awoke when someone pocked her softly. She moaned, not opening her eyes. "Go away. I'm tired." She turned to her other side. She felt warmth, even though she knew it was almost Leaf-bare. "Ivypool? Are you alright?" someone asked. She still didn't open her eyes, but recognized Hawkfrost's voice. She turned to her other side again.

Hawkfrost curled his body around hers, pressing his muzzle against her forehead. "I'll get Mudfur. You might have fever." he meowed to her. He stood up, and moments later he appeared at her side again with a second cat.

"Tell me, Ivypool, how do you feel?" the second cat asked her. Ivypool opened her eyes and saw a brown tom. _He must be Mudfur__. _she thought. She forced herself to get up, but she quickly sat down: she had barely any energy, and she felt as if she didn't sleep for a quarter-moon. "Tired. And I feel as if I had no energy." she meowed. Mudfur placed a paw on her forehead, and looked at her for a heartbeat.

"Come with me, you shouldn't sit here. Hawkfrost, please help her." he added when he noticed Ivypool couldn't stand up. Hawkfrost nodded and pressed closer to her. "Lean against me" he meowed to her. Ivypool did as she was told and with Hawkfrost's help she followed Mudfur. She let herself fall down in one of the nests and rested her chin on her paws. Hawkfrost licked her between the ears, his gaze worried.

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to die." she meowed, but regretted it. Hawkfrost's gaze darkened for a moment, then he blinked and muttered something. Ivypool stared at her paws for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then he lay down next to her, his pelt touching hers. The silver-tabby-and-white she-cat purred, looking into his icy-blue eyes. Her ears began to burn when she saw, that his eyes softened when he looked at her.

Suddenly she looked away. The thought crossed her mind again: why was he acting like this? Was it fake, or did he really like her? Or maybe... he loved her? The last thought gave Ivypool a rush; she already knew she had feelings for Hawkfrost, but she wasn't sure how _he_ felt. She wanted to know how he thought of her, but she was too shy to ask. She was afraid he would think she was insane, or 'soft'.

He pressed his muzzle against her ear. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.  
"I... just thought about... what we were talking about when... _they _interrupted us." she meowed quietly. Hawkfrost's whiskers twitched.  
"Oh... umm, would you like to continue where we were interrupted?" he asked. Ivypool hesitated, but then she nodded.  
"Yes."  
"Okay..." he muttered.

"I asked, what had happened to us." she meowed, staring at her paws.  
"I remember. I... I don't know. I mean, I know what changed with me..." he cut himself off.  
"But?" she lifted her head and looked at him. He smiled, but his smile was uneasy.  
"I... I don't know how to tell you this, Ivypool..." he began, and Ivypool's heart pounded faster.

Just when he opened his mouth to speak again, Stormfur entered the den.  
"Hey, Ivypool! I've heard you're sick." his voice was friendly and he was smiling. Ivypool heard a low growl from Hawkfrost.

Noticing him, Stormfur stopped in front of her nest and nodded as a greeting.  
"Mistyfoot was searching for you. She was talking about a hunting-patrol." he told him. Hawkfrost only narrowed his eyes and examined him for a moment.  
"Tell her I'm busy."  
"I don't think that would be a good idea. She doesn't trust you since Leopardstar appointed you to be her deputy when she was captured." Ivypool meowed.

Hawkfrost rolled his eyes, but then he stood up. Before he left, he shot Stormfur a warning glare, but the gray tom didn't notice it. He sat down next to Ivypool, but not close enough to let their fur brush. Ivypool looked at him. What did he want from her?

"Did you two have an argument? Hawkfrost didn't look that... happy." Stormfur's eyes bore into hers. His eyes reflected an emotion she didn't know, but it made her feel uncomfortable.  
"No." she asnwered curtly. He didn't reply, and Ivypool looked at him again. His eyes were narrowed, and she began to feel even more uncomfortable.

Then he lay down close to her, pressing his muzzle against her ears. "How can you like _him_?" he muttered. Ivypool hissed, but she had no energy to move away from him. Besides, the wall of the den was behind her.  
"Get lost." she growled. She unsheathed her claws, but Stormfur only let out a _mrrow_. He leaned even closer to her and started to lick her neck. Now she couldn't take it anymore. She hissed again and sent her claws across his face.

Her blow was weak, and it didn't even scratch him. His eyes still reflected that unknown emotion, and panic flickered in Ivypool's mind. What did he want?

Suddenly she heard someone growl and Stormfur moved away from her. Ivypool turned her head to see the newcomer. She relaxed when she saw the familiar brown striped face._  
_

* * *

**Hawkfrost's POV**

"How dare you...?" he hissed and leaped at Stormfur. He pinned him easily, so he only could flail with his paws uselessly. Before he had the chance to make any sound other sound, he pushed his muzzle against the earth. He could still breathe, but he only could moan and growl.

He looked at Ivypool for a moment. Her blue gaze was darkened, filled with fear. Hawkfrost stabbed his claws deeper into Stormfur's fur. How dare he frighten her! Who knows what this piece of foxdung could have done to her if he didn't come back!

"Get off me, if you don't want to get exiled!" Stormfur snarled. Hawkfrost pushed his muzzle deeper into the earth.  
"If someone's getting exiled today, that's you" he growled menaceful, sinking his claws deeper into his flesh. He enjoyed the painful look in his eyes. He deserved it! If he flipped him over, he could sink his fangs into his throat... He liked the idea, but if he did that, the Clan would find out.

Ivypool appeared at his side, her eyes widened. "Let him go." she meowed to him, her eyes filled with countless emotions.  
"What? You can't be serious! You... you don't even know what he wanted to do to you." Hawkfrost looked at her.  
"I... I..." she cut herself off. "Just... let him go, okay? I don't want any trouble." she muttered. Hawkfrost growled, but released some weight off of Stormfur. He still couldn't get up, and he panted. _Oops._ Hawkfrost grinned, Stormfur couldn't breath for a time. Then he turned his gaze to Ivypool again.

"You wouldn't be the one who's getting trouble. I think they would blame me." The beautiful she-cat looked at him as if she couln't believe her ears.  
"But I don't want to cause trouble for you! And-"  
"Do you think they would exile me because I protected my friend?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

Ivypool looked at him for a moment and Hawkfrost thought he saw sorrow flash in her eyes. Stormfur wriggled underneath him and he let him go. He jumped up, hissing.  
"This isn't over yet!"  
Hawkfrost curled his lip and snarled. "If you want to join StarClan today, then go on."

Stormfur looked at him furious, then he hissed again and left. He heard a sigh from Ivypool. He turned around and saw her laying in her nest. She was resting her head on her paws.

"Thank you for helping me" she meowed when he lay down next to her.  
"Your welcome."

* * *

**Ivypool's POV**

Ivypool pressed closer against Hawkfrost. Was she really... did she really only count as a friend for him? She looked into his icy-blue eyes, searching for any emotion that would refute this fact.

She was surprised when he leaned closer and licked her cheeck. If she was a friend, then why was he acting like that? Was he playing a game with her? She didn't know. She felt more tired than ever and closed her eyes.

Ivypool fell asleep. She was dreaming; she was in a meadow. It was familiar, like the meadow where she first met Hawkfrost. But no, this was an other one. She didn't know why, but this just _wasn't_ the same.

She heard a sound, and turned around. Her breath caught in her throath when she recognized the gray tom. It was Stormfur. He was grinning at her with that look in his eyes. Her heart pounded faster, but then the smirk from Stormfur's face faded and there was fear in his eyes. He was examining something or someone behind her.

Ivypool turned her head back, and relaxed when she recognized Hawkfrost. He smiled at her warmly, his eyes not as icy as usual. He walked up to her, and then Ivypool remembered Stormfur. She turned her head to glance at the tom, but he wasn't there. Her heart began to pound faster at the thought she was alone with Hawkfrost.

He approached her and pressed his nose against hers. She purred loudly and closed her eyes. She opened them again when Hawkfrost whispered to her. "Listen, there is something I need to tell you." Ivypool nodded and pricked her ears. She heard Hawkfrost take a breath and then say "I love you, Ivypool" She found herself purr.

Hawkfrost looked at her with a smile, it was a little one, but it meant more to her than anything. "I love you too, Hawkfrost" she confessed. He pressed his muzzle against her cheeck, purring. Ivypool closed her eyes once more, feeling safe by his presence.

When she opened her eyes again, neither the meadow, nor Hawkfrost was there. She realized she was standing in ThunderClan's camp right in the entrance. She gasped when she realized what was happening; Hawkfrost lay in front of her, but his body was transparent, he was only a soul. He was already dead, and blood was pouring from his chest, but she couldn't see his face. Ivypool wanted to run to him, to help him, to comfort him; but she only could stand there and watch him struggle.

Then he disappeared. Fully, even his blood faded. Then she saw a cat. He was a brown tabby, familiar to Hawkfrost, but his eyes were amber colored. His gaze was triumphant, filled with _happiness_.

Then she recognized him: it was Brambleclaw. Hawkfrost's _kin_. She couldn't believe it. She found nothing but hatred towards the ThunderClan warrior. But then she remembered she had lost Hawkfrost...

Ivypool's head shot up in alarm, her eyes widened. She panted, still feeling pain. Then someone pressed his nose against her cheeck and she turned her head to the side. She calmed down when she saw Hawkfrost's icy-blue eyes staring at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his blue eyes filled with worry. Ivypool looked around; it was dark. _Was he laying next to me all day long?_ she wondered.  
"A nightmare. But I'm alright now." she meowed.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hawkfrost asked her, his eyes were filled with warmth. Ivypool shook her head and yawned.

"No, thank you." she purred. He was there, he wasn't dead. And that was everything that mattered to her.

**A/N _Extremely_ long chapter for you! I hope you liked it ;) Thank you for encouraging me! :)**

** And BTW, you have to know I'm not a native speaker, so you cannot be sure what I wrote here is correct!**


	11. PLS read! (not quitting)

******Hello!**

******I'm sorry to disappoint you with this note. I only wanted to say I'll make changes in my story. I noticed that Hawkfrost and Ivypool are getting too fast too close. I have to slow down. But I don't have time and spirit to rewrite 10 chapters, so I'll make Chapter 11 different. Hawkfrost will be more hot headed, grumpier, and so on. I made him way too friendly.**

******The first 10 chapters... I'm not going to change them. Try to imagine Hawkfrost's and Ivypool's moments together... well, as if they hadn't happened that way. Like they didn't cuddle, only sat next to each other (a bit closely) and they spoke disrespectfully, cheeky, commenting on every mistake the other made, but not too unfriendly. But if you don't want to imagine them like that, then don't do it.**

******So, to their relationship: they will ****____****act******** as if they were "best friends", (argue and) bully each other more when they are alone (like giving an insulting nickname for the other [e.g. Stoneheart* for Hawkfrost or Softpaw** for Ivypool] or like commenting on hunting tactics [Ivypool didn't master the fishing techniques])**

*******Stoneheart: well, Hawkfrost didn't really care when he killed Hollyleaf, he only cared that the one he wanted to kill escaped.  
and honestly, he didn't really care for anyone.  
(name given by Ivypool to Hawkfrost)**

********Softpaw: "soft" - Ivypool's a 'traitor', and she doesn't like killing, she's not as ruthless as a Dark Forest cat, etc.  
"paw" - Ivypool was recruited by Hawkfrost, he was her mentor and she was the ****____****apprentice********, so that's why I came up with this ending.  
(name given by Hawkfrost to Ivypool)**

******Hawkfrost begins to like Ivypool a little bit, and it's going to increase. He starts to be friendlier with her, but step by step. He won't be ****____****that ********awkward anymore when he's talking to her.**

******So, I already wrote Chapter 11, but that's not what I talked about. I will write the 'final' Chapter 11 as soon as possible, but I have exams and tests too!**

******Sorry for being inactive! I didn't know what I could write, because I didn't like the part where ShadowClan's camp is destroyed by the twolegs, and nothing special could have happened, anyways. So I skipped those parts and started writing from this point. And then this thought came that I got them out of character...**

******So, here's what I wanted as Chapter 11, and I will post the ****____****real******** Chapter 11 as soon as possible.**

* * *

**Ivypool's POV**

Ivypool awoke when she heard a sound, but didn't open her eyes. She was tired, and it was just a bird anyways. Maybe it was time to wake up? She pricked her ears, but only heard snores. No, definitely not the time to wake up.

She thought about the things that happened. Well, nothing special happened, or, with other words, she was feeling sick and Mothwind didn't allow her to do anything... except for eating fish and sleeping. Ivypool knew she wanted to help her, but she still___hated_to be trapped in camp for more sunrises. Now, she was feeling better.

Maybe because Hawkfrost was acting so nice. He visited her every day, brought her and Mothwing fresh kill and tried to brigthen her day. And he always succeeded. She didn't know if he did that because he still faked their friendship, or if he did that because...

___Mousebrain! Why would he like or love me?____That's just... a mousebrained idea _she thought. She yawned and opened her eyes. A few warriors already left to hunt. Hawkfrost's nest was empty too.

When did he leave? Why didn't he wake her? She felt a little disappointed. Ivypool stretched her legs and looked around.

Wait a minute... it was moonhigh. Then no other warrior left, those nests were empty because nobody used them. Then why did Hawkfrost leave? His scent trail was almost fresh. She opened her mouth and followed the trail.

When she exited the shelter, she looked around and saw a familiar form. She smiled to herself and sneaked to Hawkfrost. When she was behind him, she slowly lifted a paw and poked him strongly.

Ivypool expected him to jump in surprise, but he turned and pinned her down, hissing. His eyes were glittering, his claws unsheathed. When he realized it was her, his face sobered and he sheathed his claws.  
"Mousebrain!" he meowed softly. "Don't scare me again, okay?" he asked with an amused glint in his eyes.  
"I don't make such promises." Ivypool giggled. Hawkfrost grinned. He lowered his head and started to tickle her.  
"Stop!" Ivypool begged, laughing. She placed her paws under his chin and pushed him upwards. He didn't resist and allowed her to do that. He grinned at her and let her stand up.

Hawkfrost sat down next to her. "Why are you here?" he asked.  
"I could ask the same from you!" Ivypool purred.  
"I couldn't sleep. And you?"  
"A bird. I noticed you weren't here and followed your scent trail. You really couldn't sleep? Aren't you tired?" Ivypool asked.  
"Yes, I am tired. I waited for you to fall asleep, but then I couldn't copy your tactic. So I came out to get some fresh air."  
"Even if I tried to sleep back, I wouldn't succeed. The warriors are snoring so loud!" she compained. Hawkfrost chuckled.  
"WindClan is the loudest. If I were you, I wouldn't get my nest close to one next time."

"Good idea! Couldn't you say that earlier?" she knocked him away, but he only grinned at her and shuffled back.  
"No, I always wanted to torture you!" the tabby meowed in a sarcastic tone and licked her between the ears, making Ivypool giggle.

"We should go back. It's cold, and it wouldn't be good if we were exhausted next day." Hawkfrost meowed.  
"Alright. I hope the other clans are quieter!" Ivypool joked.

* * *

**Hawkfrost's POV**

___Second day _Hawkfrost thought. The clans decided to leave the forest and search for a new home.

Warriors from all Clans were coming back with prey. He yawned and stretched his limbs.  
"You're finally awake! It was time!" a voice commented. Hawkfrost expected it was Mistyfoot, but he saw Mothwing, his sister. She sat down next to him. "Wanna share?" she pointed at an unusally big mouse.

"Of course." he mewed. "A medicine cat is hunting for me! What have I done wrong?" he muttered loud enough for Mothwing to hear.  
"Well don't expect anything else if you sleep all day!" she purred. She took a bite, swallowed, then waited for him to do the same.  
"Uh... Just a second." he said and turned around. The silver and white she-cat was still sleeping. Hawkfrost poked her softly with a paw, and she opened her eyes immediately.

"Time to wake up!" he whispered. Then he turned to Mothwing again. She looked at him amused.  
"Don't say anything" he muttered. Ivypool jumped up and shook her pelt.  
"Good morning!"she meowed.  
"Do you wanna share too?" Mothwing invited her. The silver and white she-cat nodded and sat down next to him. Hawkfrost handed the prey over to Ivypool, half of the mouse was at her side, the other half was on his. When she bent down to take a bite, he did the same. His nose touched hers, and Ivypool's whiskers twitched.

"S-Sorry." Hawkfrost mewed, even though he did that on purpose.  
"N-Nothing happened." Ivypool muttered. Her ears were flattened, and she looked away, embarrassed.

After they had eaten their prey, Hawkfrost spotted Ravenpaw, the former ThunderClan cat. Ivypool saw him too.  
"Who's that?" she asked.  
"That's Ravenpaw. He used to be ThunderClan." he told her.  
"He___used_to be? What happened?"  
"I don't know." Hawkfrost yawned.

"Well, then I'll ask him about it." Ivypool mewed and greeted the black tom.  
"Hello! You're Ravenpaw, right?" she smiled at him. The tom nodded.  
"Yes. How can I help you,...?"  
"Oh, I'm Ivypool, of RiverClan. I... I just wondered... You were a ThunderClan cat before, am I right?"  
"Yes."

"And what happened? I mean, why did you leave your Clan?" she asked him. Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched.  
"Well, you know, I witnessed something terrible. My mentor did something... uh... he did something what was against the warrior code, and somehow he knew that I've seen him doing that. He sent me to the most dangerous places to hunt, when a Clan attacked us while the strongest warriors weren't in camp, he made up a story that I sneaked out and told them we're vulnerable, and so on. Then I left ThunderClan, and I haven't seen him since that." he finished.

Ivypool looked excited. "And... may I ask who your mentor was?" she asked awkwardly.  
"Well... it was Tigerstar." Ravenpaw mewed.

Hawkfrost stood up and quickly appeared at Ivypool's side. She had already seen Tigerstar and he knew she hated him. But to his surprise Ivypool only nodded at Ravenpaw.  
"That must have been horrible! Do you miss being a Clan-cat?"  
"Sometimes I do." Ravenpaw admitted. Then he gazed at him.  
"Hello. I'm Ravenpaw." he greeted him.

"Uh... hi. I'm Hawkfrost..." the tom mewed awkwardly. Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched.  
"I've heard you're Tigerstar's son." he told him with narrowed eyes.  
"Yeah, that's true." Hawkfrost mewed. He tried to keep his tone as friendly as possible. He hoped Ravenpaw wouldn't tell him about his thoughts about his father. One, he didn't care, two, he never met him when he was alive... Well, he wasn't alive when they first met...

"And do you have problems with that?" Ravenpaw asked him. Hawkfrost's ears twitched surprised.  
"No, not really." he admitted.  
"I asked because I know Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw had a lot of problems because of that. But it looks like you've got luck." he mewed. Then he murmured something about being needed, and he left.

Ivypool turned her gaze on him, questioning. "Why did you come here?"  
"I thought you would freak out when you hear about Tigerstar." he muttered.  
"Why would I? Just because I don't like him..."

Hawkfrost rolled his eyes and growled something under his breath. Sometimes Ivypool could be so annoying! He smashed his thoughts about hurting and insulting her.

A smile appeared on her face and she gazed down at her paws for a moment.  
"Sorry." she apologized. "I know I can be irritating sometimes."  
"Oh, don't worry. I mean, you don't need to worry as long as you're just ___sometimes _irritating." Hawkfrost mewed. The she-cat gave him an offended look.  
"But that 'sometimes' is bearable." he added and licked her between the ears, hoping she would forget what he just said.

* * *

"Are we going to cross that?" Ivypool asked him when the clans approached the first thunderpath.  
"Yes." Hawkfrost answered. The she-cat's eyes glowed with fear.  
"There's no need to worry. I'll help you." he added and stroke her flank with his tail.

******Chapter 11 coming as soon as possible.**

******Thank you for your understanding and patience.**


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